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This is a rather interesting development in the turbocharger market. Mann+Hummel worked with BMW over the past four years to develop a functioning prototype using an N54 turbocharger as the basis for a high grade thermoplastic turbocharger housing. The benefits of high grade plastics in cars are numerous but they are usually applied to body and chassis components and not actually to engine components where strength is at a premium.

Mann+Hummel claims these plastic housings reduce weight and help with emissions. BimmerBoost is not sure what the emissions benefit to the plastic housing actually is. The main difference is seemingly in the weight loss which then reduces the energy requirements to move the car. It's obvious why BMW would want this technology researched as the plastic material would help save weight and also likely costs as a plastic turbo will be cheaper than a high grade metal unit.

With BMW going for efficiency above all else we may start seeing plastic turbos at least in the economy models. It is doubtful a plastic housing would hold up to the rigors of a turbo M motor and then questions are raised as to how the material would fare under high heat conditions in a racetrack setting.

Head of development at Mann+Hummel Dr. Huurdeman had this to say, "The practices we have implemented successfully over the years for many plastic engine components were much harder to implement when replacing aluminium with thermoplastic PPS (polyphenylene sulphide) for turbocharger compressor housings. For example, the dynamic pressure loads at high compressor outlet temperatures entail very particular construction and material requirements."

If the plastic housing is able to deliver the durability and reliability BMW desires for a certain power level it will be no surprise to see it implemented. Plastic turbos coming soon? Sure looks like it.

That sucks, but if it is some kind of crazy NASA plastic than it's not the end of the world. No way they use it on the hot side. If they start making internals out of plastic that would be the end of the world...haha.

That sucks, but if it is some kind of crazy NASA plastic than it's not the end of the world. No way they use it on the hot side. If they start making internals out of plastic that would be the end of the world...haha.

Honestly, who cares?? As long as it works, that's all that really matters?? And chances are that people like us (who modify our cars with aftermarket components) would just end up swapping in a bigger, higher quality metal turbo if it bothered us that much anyhow.

Honestly, who cares?? As long as it works, that's all that really matters?? And chances are that people like us (who modify our cars with aftermarket components) would just end up swapping in a bigger, higher quality metal turbo if it bothered us that much anyhow.

You really would rather have a plastic factory turbo than metal? How much will you gain before you melt the stupid thing?

Why not? Materials are selected based on their properties and the application. The way composites and polymers are going, it's possible to design materials that greatly exceed the strength, hardness, etc of metals. The thermal resistance has been a work in progress, but advancing steadily. This is good stuff. I for one can't wait to see a variable pitch tubine blade with no moving parts. It'll happen, just give it time.

If the hot side doesn't transfer as much heat then the IATs won't rise as much.

As we've seen with the polymer made intake manifold these parts seem to be able to take much more boost than we thought they would without popping.

So IATs would be lower, lower price point, identical strength. This is a specially formulated polymer that was engineered to withstand continuous high engine bay temperatures. The compressor's housing is engineered to withstand the pressures that the compressor operates at. Not the same stuff that they use in fisher-price toys.

I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss this is a 'step backward' simply because you don't have the technical sheet on the compressor

Assumptions aside, given a technical sheet you could stack them up side by side.
You'd need to know:
Max PSI supported by the compressor side.
Max temp supported by the polymer.